Homoeopathic Treatment for Childhood Asthma

                 Asthma is a chronic (long-term) illness in which the airways become blocked or narrowed. This is usually temporary, but it causes shortness of breath, trouble breathing, and other symptoms. If asthma becomes severe, the person may need emergency treatment to restore normal breathing.

               When you breathe in, air travels through your nose and/or mouth through a tube called the trachea (sometimes referred to as the "windpipe"). From there, it enters a series of smaller tubes that branch off from the trachea. These branched tubes are the bronchi, and they divide further into smaller tubes called the bronchioles. It is in the bronchi and bronchioles that asthma has its main effects.

                The symptoms of asthma are triggered by things in the environment. These vary from person to person, but common triggers include cold air; exercise; & allergens (things that cause allergies).

                In mild cases of asthma, the symptoms usually subside on their own. Most people with asthma, though, need medication to control or prevent the episodes. The need for medication is based on how often asthma attacks occur and how severe they are.

Children with recurrent cough, wheezing, chest tightness or shortness of breath may have one or more forms of asthma. Left untreated, asthmatic children often have less stamina than other children, or avoid physical activities to prevent coughing or wheezing. Sometimes they will complain that their chest hurts or that they cannot catch their breath. Colds may go straight to their chest. Or, they may cough when sick, particularly at night.

Some traits make it more likely that a child will develop asthma. There are many risk factors for developing childhood asthma. These include:

Heredity. To some extent, asthma seems to run in families. Children whose brothers, sisters, or parents have asthma are more likely to develop the illness themselves. If both parents have asthma, the risk is greater than if only one parent has it. For some reason, the risk appears to be greater if the mother has asthma than if the father does.

Atopy. Certain types of allergies can increase a child's risk of developing asthma. A person is said to have atopy (or to be atopic) when he or she is prone to have allergies. This tendency is passed on from the person's parents.

Frequent respiratory infections children who are exposed to recurrent childhood illnesses do not build up their immune system. It appears that a disorder of the immune system where the body fails to make enough protective antibodies may play a role in causing asthma

Low birth weight

Exposure to tobacco smoke before and/or after birth

Asthma can be classified as follows:

Non-Allergic (intrinsic) asthma is triggered by factors not related to allergies. Like allergic asthma, non-allergic asthma is characterized by airway obstruction and inflammation that is at least partially reversible with medication; however symptoms in this type of asthma are NOT associated with an allergic reaction. Many of the symptoms of allergic and non-allergic asthma are the same (coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath or rapid breathing, and chest tightness), but non-allergic asthma is triggered by other factors such as anxiety, stress, exercise, cold air, dry air, hyperventilation, smoke, viruses or other irritants. In non-allergic asthma, the immune system is not involved in the reaction.

Allergic (extrinsic) asthma is characterized by symptoms that are triggered by an allergic reaction. Allergic asthma is airway obstruction and inflammation that is partially reversible with medication. Allergic asthma is the most common form of asthma, affecting over 50% of the 20 million asthma sufferers. Over 2.5 million children under age 18 suffer from allergic asthma. Many of the symptoms of allergic and non-allergic asthma are the same (coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath or rapid breathing, and chest tightness). However, allergic asthma is triggered by inhaled allergens such as dust mite allergen, pet dander, pollen, mold, etc. resulting in asthma symptoms.

Some of the common triggers for asthma attacks are:

Allergens (pollens, moulds, animal dander, house dust mites, cockroach droppings). Allergic rhinitis, or hay fever, is a risk factor in developing asthma.

• Irritants such as tobacco smoke, strong odours, gasses, household cleaners, paints

• Weather changes in temperature and humidity, barometric pressure or strong winds

• Viral or sinus infections, (for example pneumonia can trigger or aggravate asthma, especially in young children).

• Mouth breathing, exercising in cold, dry air or prolonged, strenuous activities such as medium- to long-distance running can increase the likelihood of exercise-induced asthma

• Medications (aspirin or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) or foods (milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish)

• Emotional stress lowers immune function. Viewing each child individually and as a whole, Homeopathic medicine considers physical and emotional factors together.

Signs and symptoms to look for include:

·         Frequent coughing spells, which may occur during play, at night, or while laughing. It is important to know that cough may be the only symptom present.

·         Less energy during play

·         Rapid breathing

·         Complaint of chest tightness or chest "hurting"

·         Whistling sound (wheezing) when breathing in or out

·         See-saw motions (retractions) in the chest from labored breathing

·         Shortness of breath, loss of breath

·         Tightened neck and chest muscles

·         Feelings of weakness or tiredness

·         Dark circles under the eyes

·         Frequent headaches

·         Loss of appetite

Keep in mind that not all children have the same asthma symptoms, and these symptoms can vary from asthma episode to the next episode in the same child. Also note that not all wheezing or coughing is caused by asthma.

In kids under 5 years of age, the most common cause of asthma-like symptoms is upper respiratory viral infections such as the common cold.

If your child has problem breathing, take him or her to the doctor immediately for an evaluation.

Treatment of Childhood Asthma:

Quick-relief medications. Medications that provide immediate relief of asthma symptoms relax the muscles around the airways, making breathing easier. They begin to work within minutes after they are used, and their effects may last for up to 6 hours.

Long-term control medications. The long list of long-term control medications for asthma include both oral and inhaled medications.

Homoeopathy For Treatment of Childhood Asthma:

Generally it’s a common view in public that Asthma is an incurable disease, but this concept is wrong. Asthma can be permanently cured by Homoeopathic medicines and the root is that Homoeopathy treats the whole patient not only the disease. So Homoeopathy will treat the patient as a whole, whatever the disease is, it doesn’t matter that patient is suffering from Asthma or any other disease. It will treat the patient (according to his nature) and if patient is cured then the disease (may be Asthma) will be cured definitely. So in Homoeopathy, medicine is given to patient and not for the disease. It means if two brothers are twins and they are suffering from Asthma, yet medicines of Asthma will differ according to their nature. In case of Asthma Homoeopathy is efficacious in severe and emergency conditions also. Asthma can be treated permanently by taking continuous Homoeopathic medicine for some time.

Asthma, a condition often labeled as incurable and chronic can be cured if treated with Homeopathic medicines. Cases of recent origin and those affecting children have shown encouraging curative results and chronic, advanced cases experiencenoticeable reduction in the intensity and reoccurrence of the attacks. If you are heavily dependant on bronchodilators or inhalers Homeopathic treatment will help you fight the precipitating factors (allergen), thereby making you less dependant on those medications. Conditions such as poor resistance to climatic changes, recurrent colds / sinusitis and atopic dermatitis (skin affection) can be effectively cured during the course of the treatment.

Prevention:

Be Involved in Your Child's Care

Asthma is an illness that is best understood, rather than feared. If your child has asthma, learn all you can about the disease and work with your child's doctor. This will afford your child the best chance of controlling asthma and allowing him or her to lead a normal, healthy and happy life.

Lifestyle and home remedies

By Mayo Clinic staff

Taking steps to reduce your child's exposure to his or her asthma triggers will lessen the possibility of asthma attacks. Steps to help avoid triggers vary depending on what triggers your child's asthma. Here are some things that may help:

·         Maintain low humidity at home. If you live in a damp climate, talk to your child's doctor about using a device to keep the air dry (dehumidifier).

·         Keep indoor air clean. Have a heating and air conditioning professional check your air conditioning system every year. Change the filters in your furnace and air conditioner according to the manufacturer's instructions. Also consider installing a small-particle filter in your ventilation system.

·         Reduce pet dander. If your child is allergic to dander, it's best to avoid pets with fur or feathers. Regularly bathing or grooming your pets also may reduce the amount of dander in your surroundings.

·         Use your air conditioner. Air conditioning helps reduce the amount of airborne pollen from trees, grasses and weeds that finds its way indoors. Air conditioning also lowers indoor humidity and can reduce your child's exposure to dust mites. If you don't have air conditioning, try to keep your windows closed during pollen season.

·         Make your home more asthma friendly. Minimize dust that may aggravate nighttime symptoms by replacing certain items in your bedroom. For example, encase pillows, mattresses and box springs in dust-proof covers. Consider removing carpeting and installing hard flooring, particularly in your child's bedroom. Use washable curtains and blinds.

·         Clean regularly. Clean your home at least once a week to remove dust and allergens.

·         Reduce your child's exposure to cold air. If your child's asthma is worsened by cold, dry air, wearing a face mask outside can help.

·           Help your child stay healthy

Staying active and treating other conditions linked to asthma will help keep your child's asthma under control.

·         Make treatment a regular part of life. If your child has to take daily medication, don't make a big deal out of it — it should be as routine as eating breakfast or brushing teeth.

·         Make sure your child gets exercise. Don't let asthma sideline your child. Regular exercise reduces symptoms and is important for your child's overall health. With asthma under control, there should be no limit to your child's physical activity level.

·         Help your child maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight can worsen asthma symptoms, and it puts your child at risk of other health problems.

·         Keep heartburn under control. Acid reflux or severe heartburn (gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD) may worsen your child's asthma symptoms. He or she may need over-the-counter or prescription medications to control acid reflux.

Triclosan - an antibacterial chemical found in toothpaste and other products - can contribute to an increased risk of allergy development in children. This comes from the Norwegian Environment and Childhood Asthma Study, in which the Norwegian Institute of Public Health is involved. Similar results are reported in the USA.

For more details about Constitutional Homoeopathic Therapy for Childhood Asthma, contact us on +91 9769283173 / 022 42954400 or Email: response@urjaa.in

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